The Census Bureau’s pre-pandemic statistics suggest that over 53 million children were enrolled in public school and over 4 million in private school, ages K-12, nationally. No longer.

When the pandemic began and officials closed schools, forcing students to learn virtually at first, it seemed like the right thing to do. At the same time, parents and children were assured the closures were temporary. Nearly a year later, research shows that lockdowns have had worse effects on students than most cases of COVID-19 in children. Unfortunately, no amount of evidence seems to persuade stubborn teachers unions to open schools.